The Album
by Vdysa
Summary: A reveal story. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

The Album

I'm not really a fan of Superman from the comic book. I have read the Death of Superman Saga, read two of the Superman/Batman comics by Jeph Loeb and that's about it. I'm also a fan of Smallville and was a fan of the Lois and Clark series when it aired. AND I loved the Superman Returns movie. So, if my facts aren't totally accurate, forgive me.

Also, I don't own any of the characters. I just thought of this reveal story last week and I hope you'll enjoy it, I sure have enjoyed reading all of your stories. Cheers.

Chapter 1

Clark Kent raised his head as the elevator doors opened in front of him to reveal the Daily Planet's newsroom. He had had only a few hours sleep on the roof that night after visiting Lois and his son. His _son_. Only a few hours ago he had found out that Jason White should have been Jason Kent, unfortunately he had not been there for either him or Lois while Richard had.

His mind was busy and he was physically tired, since the kryptonite wound had just recently healed and he had woken up from his coma the day before. But he _had_ to come to work, he knew that. He couldn't possible be absent at the same time Superman was absent. Even when they were really the same person, nobody else in Metropolis knew that.

Making his way to his desk, he found it hard to concentrate even in the simplest task of writing unnecessary obituaries; like the ones Perry White, his boss, had assigned him to write - those of people still alive. So, he sat in front of his computer screen with a scalding hot cup of coffee as his companion while he thought of his life and what to do with it.

Just then, Richard White exited the elevator and passed him, walking directly to Perry's office. Clark immediately turned around to the elevator, for if Richard was there, surely Lois was there, too. He had so many things to tell her. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that if he was ever telling Lois the truth, now was the time. She was, after all, the mother of his child and he had left her alone for over five years. If nothing, she _deserved_ to know the truth.

Of course there was Richard, her fiancée, but it didn't matter. If she decided never to see him again, at least he would have his conscience clear and a relationship with his son without lies and secrets. After all, it was part of the plan when he decided to come back to Metropolis after his trip to Krypton, wasn't it? He had meant to tell Lois _everything._

But Lois wasn't anywhere around. Maybe she was not coming to work today… but, why? She knew Superman was fine, so…

_"Good morning, Richard."_ Clark heard Perry's voice above all others without really meaning to. He turned around and stared at the window that had just been replaced the day before. _"Something bothering you?"_

_"It's Lois, Perry… she won't be coming to work today."_

Perry placed his hands on his hips like he usually did when he listened intently and frowned. _"Everything okay?"_

_"I don't know, to tell the truth…" _Perry just nodded and waited. Richard sat down in front of him, giving his uncle the cue to do the same. _"I don't know. I think this is all about Superman."_

Perry White seemed to want to hide a smile from his nephew, but he found it hard. _"They were always close, I guess it hit her pretty hard that the guy almost died."_

Richard nodded, but reconsidered, instead he shook his head. _"How close where they, Perry?"_

He stared intently at him, the smile totally gone from his face. _"Well, he only gave interviews to _her_… and to tell the truth, God only knows what else they talked about that Lois decided not to put in her articles."_

_"You think she loved him?"_

The chief took his time, Clark waited nervously for the answer, now everything around him seemed to disappear, his attention was focused only on the two men talking behind the glass wall.

_"I think there was something other than professional interest, yes."_ Then, _"When you started dating her, I thought you knew about this. Everybody knew."_

But Richard shook his head, pursing his lips. _"I knew Superman gave her exclusives… sort of like his press agent. Nobody ever mentioned anything. When I got here, he was already gone."_

_"Oh, well… I guess we were all too careful to talk about him in front of Lois. She had a real hard time getting over the fact that he was no longer around. She probably thought he died or something. It was a touchy subject at the beginning… and then, well… _Kent_ was also gone."_

At the mention of his name Clark jumped, dropping the cup of coffee all over himself. "Crap." He muttered, picking up the now empty cup and rushing for a bunch of tissues from his desk to clean his mess up.

Richard and Perry kept talking and Clark tried to keep listening even as he became distracted. _"Clark?"_ Richard said his name. _"Why is Clark even relevant in all of this? Lois didn't seem to miss him when he was gone or seemed to care that he was back. In fact, she didn't talk about him at all. If I knew about Clark Kent, it was because of Jimmy."_

_"Well, that should tell you something."_ Perry explained, _"He used to be Lois' partner, but he was also Lois' only friend here. He was always passive, but he was the only one that could handle Lois around here."_

_"Then, why didn't she ever mention him?"_

_"I don't know. I think she was mad at him for leaving when she needed him the most. Think about it, Richard, Superman had just left and the only person she could turn to also disappeared. I would guess she wasn't very happy about that."_

Clark finally dried the floor, putting all his soaked tissues in the waste basket. He looked at his white shirt and moaned; he only had two after all, now he would need to go to the cleaners. Walking as fast as he could, he headed to the men's room and locked the door behind him. Turning the water on, he attempted to clean his shirt as much as was possible.

Even with the water running, it wasn't hard to keep overhearing the conversation going on in Perry's office.

_"I don't know, Perry. I just feel like I'm losing her. She was up almost all night trying to write her article on why the world _does_ need Superman."_

_"Must be hard. Especially after the Pulitzer."_

_"Right."_

_"Well, just give her time, Richard. She'll come around."_

_"That's what I'm afraid of… she will come around to what?" _After a moment, Richard sighed. _"I can't compete with Superman, Perry. And to tell the truth, I wouldn't want to."_

_"Maybe you won't have to."_ Perry insisted. _"Give her time, Richard. Don't pressure her. If you do, then maybe you'll end up pushing her away."_

_"And if I don't, she may just drift away..."_

A moment of silence followed, Clark waited patiently to hear what was coming next. "_Don't give up hope, son. Just make sure she has everything she needs."_

_"Thanks, Perry. I'll call her later to see how she's doing."_

_"What about Jason?"_

_"He's at school. He doesn't know what's going on. Not yet, anyway."_

_"Well, that's good. It's for the best while you two figure this out."_

_"Right."_

Clark heard the door open finally as Richard stepped out.

_"Well, I'll be in my office if you need anything."_

Perry didn't reply, and after a while Clark realized that the water kept pouring out of the faucet aimlessly. Looking down at his shirt, he decided it was a lost cause. He would need to change and get it dry cleaned, that was the only way.

He came out of the men's room and walked to Perry's office.

"Hey, Kent, come on in." Perry welcomed him, sounding calm, "What the hell happened to your shirt?" He exclaimed as he took a better look at him.

"Oh, coffee… I accidentally…"

"Never mind." Perry said, "What's on your mind son, feeling better?"

"Uh?" Clark almost forgot his mother had called in sick for him. "Right. Much better, thanks."

"Good. Then what can I help you with, son?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could leave half an hour earlier for lunch today… I, uhm, still haven't found an apartment and wanted to see these two places today."

Perry smiled. "You think those places are still standing after the New Krypton incident?"

"Uhm, yeah. Yes. I just called and they said…"

But he waved him away. "Right. Just go, Kent. And see if you can do something about that shirt while you're at it."

"Sure thing, chief."

"And don't call me Chief!"

Clark nodded rapidly, bumped into the chair beside him as he clumsily opened the door to leave.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lois Lane woke up alone in bed; the alarm clock read quarter to ten. She knew Richard had let her sleep and that she was totally alone in the house. The scenes from the day before still played fresh in her mind. She remembered how Superman had looked when she had visited the hospital, when she whispered in his ear that Jason was their son. She remembered the kiss she had given him and his soft perfect lips against her own. She remembered seeing him the night before, floating in front of her with that peaceful face; filled with emotion after he had visited his only son. He had looked happy, and yet…

_I'm always around._

Was that enough for her? Why couldn't Superman be more like Richard? Why couldn't he have a normal job and a normal life? She felt guilty, but she would trade Superman for Richard if only he was a little more… human.

She went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. Black. She needed something to wake her up from her dreams. What she wanted couldn't be. It was impossible. Superman was a god, and she was a woman. A woman could only be with a man. Richard was that man. She would need to marry Richard and end her fascination with an unreachable being. It would hurt and she would regret it, but now there was Jason to consider in the equation and she knew he needed stability, especially once more of his biological father started to awaken in him.

Taking her cup of coffee to her study, she turned her laptop on to continue writing her article. _Why the World Needs Superman. _Well, continue wasn't the right word… she needed to _start_ writing the article, Perry would start yelling for it sooner than she wished and she wanted to be ready.

The knock on the door startled her. She wasn't expecting anyone. She looked outside the window through the blinds and saw Clark Kent standing at her front door holding a big book.

"Clark?" She said to herself, curious.

She went upstairs again to change, she was not about to open the door in her pajamas and robe. The doorbell rang this time. Then the knocking on the door again.

_Boy, was he persistent._

"Coming!" She yelled from her upstairs room.

After a few minutes, she finally was ready to meet her co-worker.

"Clark, hi! This is unexpected." She said, forcing a smile.

Clark only smiled weakly and stared at her. "Hi, Lois. Do you have a minute? I really need to talk to you."

"I, uh… well, I'm…" She started.

"This is important, Lois." Clark said in a deeper tone of voice than usual. "Please, can I come in?"

She frowned confused at the way he sounded like. "Uhm, sure, Clark. Come on in. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just… need to talk to you." Clark said as he came inside her house for the first time.

"Do you want anything? Coffee? Juice?" She asked him, showing him the sofa in the living room. Clark sat down, placing his big book in front of him.

"No, thank you, Lois. I'm fine."

She ran to the kitchen anyway, coming back with another cup of black coffee for herself. "So, what's up?" She said. "And what's that?"

"Oh, this is my mother's photo album." Clark said.

"I see." Lois said puzzled, placing her cup on the table. "Well, tell me what you want to talk about and I'll see if I can help."

Instead, Clark took the album in his hands. "I want to show you the album." He simply said.

Lois stared at him confused, then slowly nodded, feeling uneasy. "Okay. Why?"

"Because I need to." Clark said very serious. It was creeping Lois out.

"You're scaring me, Clark. Are you all right?"

"I just want to show you my album, Lois. It's really important that you see my album. You _need_ to see it."

"Why?" She asked again.

"Because you _have _to." Came Clark's reply.

She turned to look at him, but was taken aback by his intense look. His blue eyes shinning behind his thick glasses. "All right." She agreed. If she hadn't known him for so long, she probably would have asked him to leave. But… it was Clark. Could he have changed so much in five years?

Clark opened the album and a picture of him as a little boy started on the first page. "That's me. I was three years old. It was the day my parents found me."

"Found you? I thought you were adopted."

"I was. They found me. My real parents were gone and the Kents found me on a field in Smallville."

"And where were your parents?"

"I later learned they were dead."

"I'm sorry." Lois said, not knowing how to feel about that. The entire scenario was too weird for her.

"But the Kents were wonderful parents. I had a very happy childhood. It wasn't until I was older that I learned a lot of things." He turned the page, a picture of him in a red blanket appeared. "This is me, now four years old. This red blanket was the only thing I had left from my parents. My _real_ parents. I still have it." A smile appeared on his lips. Lois looked at him, trying to figure out where this side of Clark had suddenly appeared from. She certainly didn't know it.

"You were cute when you were little." She said, trying to ease herself with her own voice. There was something definitely wrong with Clark.

He smiled quietly, then turned to the next page. "That's me and my best friend Pete Ross. You should know him, he's now a Senator."

"You were friends with Senator Ross?" She was surprised, "I didn't know he was from Smallville."

"He is, or… was, and we were neighbors. We went to the same Elementary and all the way up to High School."

"And you are still friends with him?"

"Oh, yes. We are still best friends. He knew… a lot about me. Just like I knew all about him."

"You're still in touch with him?"

"Not as often as I'd like, but he is a very busy man. As a matter of fact, I have to call him now that I'm back. He must be wondering why I haven't checked in."

"Maybe he doesn't know you're back."

"Oh, trust me. He _knows_." He gave her a half smile. He turned another page, once again it was a picture of him with Pete Ross and then another one with his mother, and then one with a bunch of kids: _Ms. Wilson's Fourth Grade class, _the caption read.

Lois found Clark in the picture with difficulty; he wasn't wearing glasses, his dark hair was over his eyes as he smiled shyly at the camera. Of course, beside him was a much younger Pete Ross standing proudly next to him.

"I didn't have many friends at school. But Pete was always there. He and I used to have so much fun. He helped me a lot when I started changing."

"Changing?"

He stared at his own picture, remembering the days when he started growing into his powers; his only confidant had been Pete Ross. If he had been older, he probably wouldn't have shared what was happening with anyone, not even Pete. But he was just a kid then, and he had shared it with his only friend.

"Yeah. Adolescence was hard on me."

This seemed to satisfy Lois. "Oh."

He changed the page. This time, it was a picture of what looked like a party. There was Clark in the background, a pretty red head girl in the middle of the picture laughing.

"Who's that?"

"That's Lana Lang." Clark explained.

"Your friend?"

"Not at first. If I ever had a crush on someone when I was younger, it was for her."

Lois turned to look at him, but he didn't look back. "I didn't know that, Smallville."

He smiled at the nickname, she had often called him that before he left. Now was the first time she had used it again after his return. "I like it when you call me Smallville."

"I thought you hated it, that's why I use it."

"I hate it and like it at the same time."

She stared at him, but he was still looking at the picture of Lana. "You are different today, Clark. Are you feeling all right?"

"I just want to show you my album." He said dryly.

"I know. You mentioned that."

He looked at her with his deep eyes again. "It's really important, Lois."

Giving him a questioning look, she moved back to the picture of the party. "Well, I already met your best friend and your first crush. What's next?"

Clark nodded and turned the page. "This is my dad. He died when I was seventeen. But here he is with me. I think I might have been around thirteen. I was starting to change and was becoming impatient. But my dad always told me that the best way to live was to enjoy every minute of it. That there was even joy in doing the tedious tasks at the farm."

Lois didn't know what to say to that. "Do you miss him?"

"Very much. Especially now. If he'd been alive… maybe he wouldn't have let me go. That's what my mom thinks, anyway." Lois thought about what he said for a moment, feeling more connected to Clark than ever. "Sometimes I wonder what I would have become if he hadn't died."

"I think you turned out just fine."

He smiled a secret smile. There was something he was hiding that Lois couldn't figure out. _What does he know that I don't?_

Clark just turned the page again.

"I started wearing glasses at fourteen. I hated them at first, but then I got used to them. They became very helpful to me later."

"Maybe you should try contacts." Lois suggested.

"I don't need contacts."

"But I think you could look much better without those thick glasses."

"Lois, I don't _need_ contacts." He repeated.

"All right. Relax." She said, but Clark didn't apologize like he usually did for being rude to her. He just turned to the next page. A few other pictures of him in the farm with his parents. He was skinny, but tall. The glasses really did make him look like a dork, but he still smiled in every single picture. Sometimes he appeared with his parents, sometimes with Pete and sometimes just by himself, waving at the camera.

"The next picture is from my graduation day. From college. My dad wasn't there with me, but I know he was proud. I graduated with honors and my mom was so happy."

But he didn't turn the page. "Let's see it, then."

"I remember my college years." Clark continued, ignoring her. "Everything was so different. I had learned a lot before going there, and I looked at things like I had never seen them before. Besides, I was done changing and was starting to take control of my life. By the end of college I knew what I could and couldn't do. And I always knew I wanted to work at the Planet…not only do I like journalism, it was the best place for me to be… useful."

But Lois was half listening; she smiled and hit his shoulder. "All right, let me see the picture then!"

Clark took the page in his fingers and slowly turned it, he tried to stop his trembling hand, but it was hard. Next to him, Lois didn't know what to think. She could feel Clark was nervous, but didn't understand the magnitude of what was happening until she finally looked at the graduation picture.

There, in his toga was Clark, his mom standing proudly beside his towering form. He was smiling and his arm held his mother gently. "I decided not to wear my glasses that day." Clark said.

In front of her, Lois was staring at… Superman.

Quickly, she stood up, almost tripping on her own two feet. "What?"

Clark just sat there, his album in his hand, his glasses still over his face. "I was wondering if maybe you could show me Jason's album. I'd like to see him grow up… if you don't mind."

"What?"

"You _must _have some pictures of him. Don't you?"

"Who are you?" Lois demanded, tears forming on her face.

Clark just sat there staring at her. He slowly closed his album and placed it on the coffee table. "I just showed you my mother's album to show you who I am. Who I _truly_ am, Lois. I'm Clark Kent and I have a life and a family and friends. That's who I am."

"You're… you're Superman!" She gasped, breathing for air.

"Well, yes. But not all of the time. That's just a part time job."

"You're Superman, Clark!"

He stood up, looking at her with his blue eyes, the glasses still in place. "Does it matter, really? Superman doesn't have a life. He doesn't really exist. But… _I_'m real. And all that Superman felt... it was really _me_ feeling it, Lois."

"But…" She started, but the tears kept falling.

"When you told me I had a son…and with _you…_ I… I couldn't believe it. I didn't even think it was possible. And if I planned to tell you who I truly was when I came back… now that I know _we_ have a son… I just felt it was the right thing for you to know."

But she didn't appear to be listening, "How can you live like that everyday? Lying? Being two different people? How?"

"I don't know. It's just something I have to do or I'll go mad. Can't you see, Lois? I can't be Superman as Clark Kent. My life would be over! But then if I wasn't Superman, then I couldn't help people like I do now and it would kill me."

"Oh, my God… all this time." Lois said, not looking at him.

"I'm sorry, Lois. I know this must be hard and you must be angry, but I had to tell you. If you don't want to see me again, I'll understand. But, please… don't shut my son out of my life. I need him just like I need you. If you just can't forgive me, I'll understand. Just know that I won't keep anything else from you. Ever. Whatever you want to know, I'd love to share it. Everything."

"But…"

Clark took his album from the table. "Think about it. I have to go back to work, and first I need to give this back to my mom."

"The one in Smallville?" Lois figured.

"Yes. I'll be at the Daily Planet. If you ever feel like you want to talk. I'll be waiting. You know my extension."

"But… Richard."

"He's a good man. I hope he will agree to let me see my son. Just, don't tell him who I really am, that's something I only trust _you _to know."

"I…"

He leaned over to kiss her cheek, Lois just stood there and received it, feeling his unusual warmth touch her, his soft lips caress her. She closed her eyes and sobbed.

"Call my name if you want to talk to me or just pick up the phone. Please."

"What name?" She whispered, not turning to look at him.

"I don't care. I'll come." Clark said, waited a moment and then opened the door to leave.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

But Lois Lane didn't yell and she didn't call. Clark spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in front of his desk at the Daily Planet writing pointless obituaries. Now and then getting up to fly where trouble called. When he had a chance, he would overhear Richard's telephone calls. Only Lois didn't even call _him_.

Finally, a few minutes before five o'clock, his phone rang.

"Clark Kent." He answered.

"Hi." It was Lois.

"Hi." He simply replied. "Do you…? Everything all right?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want me to come over?" He asked.

"I don't know." She said again.

Clark sat there, thinking what to do next. He was nervous and his hand was sweating as he held the receiver. "Are you okay, Lois?"

Even he knew the answer to that question. "Of course I'm not all right." She replied. "Jason's here."

Clark's heart jumped at the sound of his son's name. "Oh."

"And I was looking at him and…" she sounded like she'd been crying. "When I picked him up from school he… Well," she took a moment, "he really does look like you."

This made him smile. "Thank you."

"Clark… I don't know how… I don't know what to do or what to feel or anything."

"I'm sorry, Lois… maybe I shouldn't have told you…"

"Maybe." She interrupted him. "But all this time, I have been thinking of Jason." Clark didn't answer, he just listened. "He deserves to know you. Who you are and that… you love him. That you're there for him."

"Thank you, Lois."

Once again there was a silence. He heard her breathing clearly on the other side, but didn't know what to do. It was an awkward position, and even though he was ready for it, he still found it difficult. "Lois?" He ventured.

"I'm sorry. I'm still here." She said, then let the air out as she smiled. "I just… I just realized who I'm really talking to." Clark just pursed his lips, closing his eyes. This was definitely more difficult for her. Whatever he was feeling, he deserved it… for Lois, it wasn't even fair. "It just occurred to me that nobody really thinks about talking to Superman over the phone." He wanted to say he was sorry, but he didn't dare. So he just sat there staring at his computer screen, holding the phone steady in his hand. "I do want to…" She began again, but stopped.

After a while, Clark opened his lips and said. "What? You know you can ask anything, Lois." He said. "I'm here for you, whatever you need."

She took her time. "I do want to see you."

"I can go there right now if…"

"No. Not now. Richard will be coming soon and…"He immediately turned to Richard's office as she said his name. She was right, her fiancée had already left. "Jason still needs to have dinner and finish his homework and…"

"I understand." Clark said.

"But, maybe tonight." A smile appeared on his lips as he heard her say it.

"I'll be there. Just tell me the time."

"I don't know. Ten o'clock?"

"I'll be there."

"Just… try to come as yourself. Can you do that?" She asked him.

"Sure. That's not a problem. I'll be there. Just me."

"All right. Bye." He didn't notice that she didn't say his name. Not Clark, not Superman. Just "bye". That was all. It was, after all, less complicated.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Richard didn't understand when Lois told him Clark was coming over.

"Clark?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Clark. We need to talk about some things tonight." She had been putting dry dishes away, Richard had been helping her. "In private."

"Private?"

She nodded. "I haven't really talked to him for a long time and we have some things to talk about."

Richard wondered why the sudden change towards Clark. First, all her attention was on Superman, now Clark. "But, are you feeling okay? Maybe he should come some other day. Aren't you worried about Superman?"

"He's fine." She replied immediately.

"Superman's fine?" He asked, "How do you know?" Lois just gave him a look. "Oh, you _know_…"

"He came to see me." She said, not really trying to hide anything from him. After all, Superman wasn't a problem anymore. Not really.

"It's just that nobody has mentioned anything from the hospital." Richard said.

"They will. Soon."

He stared at her. "And you don't want to be the first reporter to…" But she shook her head before he could finish his sentence.

"Not this time."

Richard nodded his head slowly and sat down on the table where they had just had dinner. He was glad Jason had already gone upstairs to get ready for bed. It had given them a few minutes alone.

"Tell me about Superman. Did you love him?" He asked again, even though every other part of his body knew he _shouldn't _ask that… _again_. Even Perry had told him to leave Lois alone.

She pursed her lips and looked at her hands below her. "I guess I did. I know I told you that I didn't… but, it was a crush." She thought it over. "He was perfect. A man that could fly. Handsome, polite. Someone who cared about others. What was not to love? And he…" she turned to look at the window. "… well, he cared about me."

"He told you?" Richard asked.

"Not in so many words. But he was always there for me. And the way he looked at me… well, I guess I was young and…" Finally she faced him, sighing. "I liked me when I was with him."

"But he left."

"Yes."

"And you were angry?"

"Well, yes." She declared.

"Why?"

Once again she thought it over. "I don't know. Pride? I felt betrayed? I felt like I shouldn't need anyone… especially him."

Richard thought he understood. "And now that he's back?"

"Now that he's back I need a man… not a god." But Richard noticed she wasn't looking at him. It was clear she was thinking of someone else. Clark, maybe? "I'm sorry, Richard. I guess I'm… confused. And Clark will be here in a few hours, I should be ready to receive him."

"Right." As much as he tried, he failed to hide the sadness in his voice.

Lois walked to him and kissed his cheek. "I'll be in the living room. Good night, Richard." And with that, Lois Lane left him alone.

After a few minutes of sitting by himself in the kitchen, he gathered his strength to go upstairs by himself to read Jason to sleep. It had been hard to fight the urge to confront her again. About Clark now, more than Superman.

He said good night as he passed the living room, where Lois was sitting with her computer on her lap, typing. She really didn't ignore him, but it almost felt like she did. He went upstairs, tucked Jason in and then took a long shower.

It wasn't long until the doorbell rang.

Richard was then very quiet. He sat on his bed and tried to listen.

The door opened and he heard Lois. "_Hi._"

Then came a male voice, which of course, was Clark's. " _Hi, Lois_."

"_You look… nice_."

"_You said you wanted to see _me_. So here I am_."

After a moment, the door closed. "_You look… different_." Richard heard Lois say, wondering what she'd meant.

"_This is me. Just me_." Clark repeated… what exactly did that meant? Richard didn't know. Then Clark continued. "_Maybe we should go outside_."

"_All right_."

"_Is Jason asleep?"_ Clark asked.

"_Yes. Richard took care of that tonight. I told him I was waiting for you_."

"_That's fine. But we can't talk here. It's not… safe_."

When he heard that last word, Richard frowned in confusion. Why wouldn't they be safe? He wasn't going to do anything weird; _that_ was for sure. So, safe from what?

"_Let me get my sweater and I'll be right back_."

"_Okay_."

Richard heard Lois making her way up the stairs and into the room they shared. She opened the door that was only half closed and he stared at her in silence.

"I'm here to pick up a sweater, it's cool outside."

"Are you all right? Is he in some sort of trouble?" Richard asked.

Lois frowned at his questions. "What do you mean? He's not in trouble." Then she reconsidered her statement. "Well, at least nothing to be alarmed about."

"Will you be all right by yourself with him?" Richard said. "I mean, out there?"

She snorted at what she heard. "Of course. It's Clark Kent, Richard. And trust me when I tell you he's the safest person to be around in the whole wide world."

_Safer than Superman?_ Wondered Richard. "All right, just be careful."

"I will." Lois had her blue sweater in her hands as she exited the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Clark waited in the living room, trying not to overhear the conversation going up upstairs, but it was hard. He decided to look around the living room; there were a lot of family pictures hanging on the walls. As he looked at them a sadness overcame him. Was he wrong in trying to claim Lois again as his? To claim his own son? Was it wrong for him to try and end his loneliness on Planet Earth? He had never really been selfish, and now he felt something wasn't right with his feelings of hope. It was his family, why would it be wrong to try and be with his family?

But the pictures showed happiness. He saw his son holding Richard, he saw Lois holding Richard. Richard. Perfect Richard. He had everything he ever wanted. If only he hadn't left, he might have lived what Richard had lived. He might have all the memories that Richard had of his life with Lois and Jason.

He had been so stupid to leave. So _stupid_.

But it was a thing of the past. He _had _gone and now he was _back!_ It couldn't be too late. It was never too late, was it?

Finally, Lois made her way down the stairs. She looked absolutely perfect. Even with her tired frown as she came down to meet him.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, frowning some more.

"Uhm, yeah, swell." Clark said, making her smile. "What?"

"_Swell?"_ Lois remarked.

Clark rubbed the back of his neck with one hand as he gave her a half smile. "Sorry, that's just the way I… talk. Too dorky?"

"It's not an act?"

"Not tonight." He said, looking at the floor.

They stared at each other for a while, then. Finally she nodded. "Ready to…"

"Yes. Yes." He snapped out of his trance and started walking to the front door. He opened it for her and she made her way out, he followed.

As they started to walk away from the house, Clark heard Richard in the bedroom. He heard him walk to the window and open it. He knew Richard was trying to be quiet, but Clark knew he was watching them as they began to talk.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Lois felt strange walking along side this man. It didn't feel like he was Clark Kent and it didn't feel like he was Superman either. For a moment there, she felt like she was walking with a complete stranger that just so happened to look like her co-worker from the Daily Planet.

Inside her head, she had all these questions and things she wanted to tell him, mostly hurtful things, but she expected him to start talking first. That made for a very long, very awkward silence.

"How is Jason?" He finally asked as Lois exhaled in relief.

"He's fine."

"And Richard?"

She looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "He's… well, he's… I don't know. I guess he's confused." She couldn't believe she had actually said that. Why couldn't she just say that he was fine and stop? Now more questions would follow.

"He's confused?" Clark asked, bewildered. "Does he know about me and…?"

"Oh, no!" She quickly said to put his mind at ease, "I didn't say anything."

"Okay." Clark said as she felt him relax.

Another silence followed. She wanted to explain, tell him what was going on in her life, with Richard, with Jason… with Superman. Only she was actually talking to Superman, so that would make it a bit weird, wouldn't it?

"Richard is…" She began, knowing right then it was probably a mistake, "he's afraid, I guess… that I may…" _No_, she couldn't say it. She wouldn't make it so easy for him. If Clark wanted her, he would have to fight for her. Telling him that Richard thought she might leave him because she was in love with someone else was something she definitely needed to keep to herself.

"You may what?" Clark asked her, lowering his head to be able to hear it.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye, but just shook her head. "I don't know." And that was a lie. She felt Clark straightening to his full height, as if he knew he wouldn't be getting anything else from that topic.

Still with his glasses on he looked different. There was a different _feel_ to him.

"Somehow you seem taller now." She said.

It made him smile, "Yeah, I'm a little tall."

"A _little_?" She asked, "You're 6'4'', Clark! You're tall!"

He chuckled and she couldn't help but smile. That had been the right ice breaker. _And_ she had called him _Clark _without noticing.

"I wasn't this tall until I started High School, though."

"No? You just had a growth spurt suddenly?"

"Yeah, but no one seemed to pay much attention to me anyway. Not even the basketball coach."

"Really?"

"I wasn't very much into sports." But he thought better of it. "Well, I _was_ but my dad said it was too dangerous."

"Someone could have found about your powers?" She ventured.

"Partly. But dad was always afraid I would hurt someone. He always thought that even if I was _very _careful, accidents can happen."

"So, you wanted to play basketball?"

He smiled. "Not really. I wanted to play football. You know, impress Lana, the girl I liked. She was a cheerleader for the home team."

"Pretty and popular, uh?" Lois said, "I _hate_ cheerleaders."

"They're okay." Clark said, almost playing.

Lois didn't reply to that. She just kept walking, her eyes suddenly fixed on the lake before her. The sea plane floated gently in its waters.

"So," She said, feeling Clark tense immediately with her change of tone. "You've always been Superman?"

"Uhm," He started, "As in, putting on the suit?"

"Yeah."

"No, the first time I put on the suit, _you_ named me Superman. I wasn't Superman until then."

"But you had all your powers." She wasn't asking, she was telling him.

"I didn't have them all when I got here… to Earth, I mean, but eventually they started showing up." Clark said.

This made Lois think. "That's why you say that growing up was so difficult? Those are the changes you were referring to?"

"Well, yes." Clark started. "I was always strong. I got stronger as I grew older, but at least it was a constant in my life. But then I started to become invulnerable, too. It scared me. I was just a boy. Still in first grade."

"Like Jason." Lois made the connection. She hadn't really thought about the adjustments her son would eventually have to face. "So these powers just started to show up. Just like that? Is that what will happen to Jason?"

"I don't know."

"He _is _your son."

"And he's also _your_ son, Lois." Clark said. "Has he done anything? Anything… _strange_?"

Lois knew the answer to that one. Yes. He had done something strange. He had pushed a grand piano with his tiny little hands. He was strong.

"He, uhm…"

"What?" Clark asked eager to know. "What has he done?"

"He's strong." Lois stated. "Like you said, it was your first power, right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean it will be the same with Jason." He said, and then came back to: "Just… how strong _is_ he?"

Lois stopped walking, facing him. She took a deep breath and finally looked him straight into his eyes, the blue ones covered by those glasses. In a way, it was better to talk to him with them on, she felt more like talking to Clark Kent, reporter; not Superman, god. "He pushed a grand piano to protect me from one of Luthor's thugs."

"_What_? And what happened?" His eyes were panicky, but he tried to contain his anxiety, she could tell.

"Well, he was going to hurt me and Jason… he…"

"… killed him." Clark finished the sentence.

"He didn't mean to," Lois apologized for Jason immediately, "He didn't even know he was strong, he just… did what he thought he needed to do and it all happened so fast that…"

"Is he okay? Does he understand what he did?"

"I think so."

"And he's okay with it? Does he understand he did it to protect you, that he has to be careful with…"

"I don't know, Clark! I don't know! This is all new to me and I…" She felt the tears coming. She hated to cry, it seemed it was all she did lately and she hated feeling that weak.

"I'm sorry…" Clark said, ashamed of himself, "You're right. I don't know what to do either… or what to feel. This is all new to me, too."

"But you grew up like this. Like _Jason _will"

"And I was in a farm, in Kansas, where there isn't anything for miles. If I did something, nobody was there to notice. Do you understand the difference? Yes, I burned part of the crops when I first started to develop heat vision, but I took care of that by myself, nobody knew except for my parents, and they understood. When I first discovered I could fly I fell through the roof of the barn. My dad had me repair it the next day. Or, once I accidentally put my hand inside one of the machines and broke it. My dad had to save for a month to buy the piece to repair it. See? I'm not Jason. The scenario is totally different. So whatever will happen, we will find out together."

Lois was listening to him, his stories seemed so extraordinary that she couldn't imagine how he had felt being that young and being able to do all those things that caused destruction at first. It meant he had learned a lot of control. A lot! For all the powers that he had, most of them could be used to hurt, and yet he used them for the opposite.

He was truly extraordinary.

"I'm afraid for Jason." Lois confessed, changing her train of thought.

"I know." Clark said, "I am too, and probably the little guy is scared out of his mind, I know _I_ was. But my parents were there for me and I will be there for _him_. I know _you_ will be there for him."

"And Richard?"

"He loves him; he'll be there for him." Clark declared.

She smiled. "No, I mean… when Jason has his first _accident_, what will I tell Richard. That he's Superman's son?"

Clark stood silent. Thinking about the possible scenarios. "He thinks he's the father?"

"No. He knows he's not Jason's biological father. I was pregnant the first time we…" It wasn't necessary to elaborate, Clark nodded in understanding. "I told him I had a lover that had left me without knowing I was pregnant and that there was no way to reach him. I don't think he ever made the connection that I was actually talking about Superman."

Clark appeared to be thinking it over. Then said, "I don't know, but if he doesn't think it was Superman, he's probably thinking that it was me. Clark."

She smiled, looking amused. "Sorry, Clark, but everybody knew that you and I never…" Clark stopped her.

"I overheard Perry and him talking today. Perry told him that _I_ was your only friend back then. Richard said you never talked about me, even when we had been partners. He wondered why you never talked about me and it sounded like he thought…"

"…That we were lovers." Lois finished _his _sentence now. It hadn't occurred to her, not really. But it was a probability. "Well, technically, Clark Kent _is _Jason's father, there's no lie in that. _You_ are Jason's father. So maybe…" _I should tell Richard the truth, that Clark is Jason's biological father. It's easier than having to explain the alternative._

Clark interrupted her thoughts, "Even if you tell Richard that I'm the father, Jason will still do some amazing things one day. How are we going to explain that?"

She nodded; recognition in her eyes. "We'll have to tell him."

"What?" Clark chuckled nervously.

"You'll have to tell him about Superman."

"No!" He protested.

"You really don't have a choice, Smallville. You either tell him you're Superman or it will be worse when Jason accidentally breaks the car's door or something."

"But…"

"It's the only way. Everybody else can know that I _somehow_ slept with Clark Kent before you left and the product of that night is Jason. Everybody else is not coming home with Jason everyday, so there's a chance we can keep Jason's powers a secret from the world. But, Richard… he's just too close. And whatever happens, Richard will _always_ be a part of Jason's life. We can't deny that to either of them."

She hadn't realized that by saying that, she had admitted to herself that she had feelings for Clark. She was considering leaving Richard.

"Lois, is not that simple." Clark said, pushing up his glasses with his index finger.

"Yes, it is. You go to him and you tell him you are Superman."

"No, Lois." Clark said, closing his eyes. "That's not how it works. He's a man and I…"

In his lack for words, Lois started: "And you what? You are Jason's father and he should know that."

"_Listen_ to me." Clark raised his voice, then immediately lowered it down. "Listen. He's a man. And it will be one of the worst days of his life when you tell him you've found his son's real father."

"You don't know that, Clark."

"Yes, I do." He said, determined. "That day, at the Planet, when you came back from that plane I landed in the stadium, I saw Richard and you together for the first time. I swear, Lois, I…" He turned away. "I had to use everything I had to hold back. I wanted to tell him he was not good enough for you. I wanted to tell him how I was much better, that I was stronger and smarter and… Lois, my eyes burned for a moment."

"You were jealous?" She asked.

"_Very_." Clark turned to look back at the house. "It will not be easy. He's a good man, but everybody has their limit. You don't know how Richard will react, and if I tell him who I really am and he can't take it that I'm Jason's father… he may consider telling my secret to other people, just to get back at me."

Lois looked at him, then started shaking her head. "No, you don't know Richard, he's not like that."

"You're right. I don't know Richard. At least not good enough to trust him with my secret."

"Well, you say this now. But it will be worse if he finds out by mistake. Not only will he experience all that you said, but he will also be angry, he will feel betrayed. _Then_ what?"

She was agitated, and realized it was the most open conversation she had had with this man, Clark or Superman. It felt good, she felt like she knew him intimately without an effort. Never had she felt this way with Richard, not even close. She trusted Clark, she felt she could be herself in a liberating way and he would not judge her for that.

Clark interrupted her thoughts. "Fine. Let me think about it." He told her, "What you're saying makes sense, but what you're asking is difficult." He gave her one of his handsome half smiles. "Look how long it took me to tell _you _and I lo-" He stopped, Lois wished he hadn't. "It's not an easy thing to do, Lois." He said instead, "Not for me. Give me some time and I'll think about it."

"You won't have much time." Lois said.

"What do you mean?"

"Now that Jason has broken into his powers, if something happens…"

"What are you saying?"

"I will tell Richard myself. With or without you." Clark froze there, staring at her with a frightened face. "I'm sorry, Clark. I'll have to. To protect all of us."

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"What did he say?" Richard asked her in the dark room. He was certain Lois would think he was asleep, but there was no way he could close his eyes with all the doubts he had in his mind.

"What?" She whispered back. "I thought you were asleep."

He sat up, reached for the lamp on his bureau and turned in on. Lois looked tired, but he didn't care. She owed him some answers. "I tried, but I just couldn't close my eyes."

"I'm sorry." Lois whispered, as if she thought it was her fault.

After a few seconds of silence, Richard asked again. "What did he say?"

"Who, Clark?"

His voice was dry. "Who else?"

Not paying much attention to his tone, Lois answered, "He, uhm, there were things that needed to be said, between Clark and I."

"Why? What things?"

But she changed the subject. "I'm tired Richard, can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"We could, but I'd like to talk about it right now. It's important to me." Lois stared at him; she had finally changed and was ready for bed. As she sat on her side of the bed, Richard continued, "Were you and Clark… intimate? Before he left, I mean?"

She looked nervous. Her voice was different when she answered. "Why do you say that?"

"I have my reasons. Tell me, Lois, is Clark Kent more than a friend?"

Lois lowered her head, looked at her hands resting on her lap. "I don't know Richard, I'm… not sure were we stand."

He sat there motionless, finally understanding more than he ever had. His heart slowly breaking into tiny little pieces. The next question would only make it worse. "So, when you told me before that you had a lover and… Jason was the result of that affair… was it with Clark?"

Feeling the tears beginning to form in her eyes, she knew that the time for hurting Richard would have to come now. It was inevitable. "Yes." She whispered.

"Yes?" He asked, as if he hadn't heard what she said.

"Yes, Richard. It was with Clark." She turned to look at him, the tears now finding the way down her cheek.

"Does he know? That Jason is his son, that is. Is that why he was here tonight?"

She considered her options. The question had a simple answer and it seemed like the best one. "Yes. I told him… yesterday and…"

"Yesterday? When? You were at the hospital, I drove you there."

_Oops, that was true._ "I… called him to tell him, Richard. I guess seeing Superman there made me think of a lot of things. One of them was telling Clark the truth."

She could feel Richard accepting all that he was hearing. It was hard, but he seemed to be taking it rather well. "What did he say?"

"Who?" Lois asked, looking somewhat confused.

"Clark, who else?"

"Oh." She sighed, "He took it pretty well, I guess. He was surprised." At least she didn't have to lie about that. "He thought he couldn't have kids, so it was a _nice_ surprise. He wanted to see one of our albums, one with Jason as a baby and things like that."

"You gave him one?"

"Yes." Lois felt strange, why was Richard being so nice to her? She had just delivered the worst news possible and here he was, comfortably sitting in bed chatting about it like it was nothing. How wrong she was. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Why should I mind?" He said, Lois finally felt a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "He _is_ the kid's father. What _else_ will he want?" He was raising his voice, "Weekends with Jason? Birthdays with Jason? What?"

"I don't know, Richard."

"How can you _not_ know? Then what were you two talking about out there? Jason's favorite color?"

"No!" She said abruptly, but quickly calmed down. "This is complicated, Richard. I don't know how to handle this yet, I…"

"And you think I do?" He didn't sound happy. "It makes me think, Lois. Why didn't you tell me about Clark when he came back? You acted as if nothing had changed, but you obviously knew more than either of us. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because… I wasn't sure that Jason was his, not until…"

"You weren't sure? You just told me that he was the one, the lover that left…"

"I know, but…"

"But what? You either knew or didn't know. Which one is it?"

"Richard…" She started crying again, how she hated herself for that, "I can't talk about this. Not now. It's difficult for everyone… for _me_, too!" She stood up, walked over to the bathroom door. "I'm sorry."

She closed the door behind her, hiding in the bathroom for as long as it took. After a few minutes, she heard silence. She waited. Finally, when she opened the door, she realized Richard was no longer there.

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Clark Kent was sitting on his chair early the next morning. He pressed the power button on his computer and waited for the operating system to load.

"Kent." His name was spoken dryly, with possibly a bit of anger. He turned around to see Richard, his face stern as he looked at him. "We need to talk."

"All right." Clark gulped, imagining well what the talk would be about. Lois had told him. He knew that much, he had heard it the night before. Not that he wanted to hear, but it was hard not to, just like the day before. He really needed to work on respecting other people's privacy.

"Not here." Richard said, looking around the half empty newsroom. Clark just sat there, looking up at him through his thick glasses. "How about breakfast?"

Clark had had breakfast already, but he wasn't about to say _that_. "Yeah, sure. Sounds swell."

Richard nodded, turned around and walked back to the elevator. Clark tried to relax. He may be the most powerful being on Earth, but he was nothing compared to a jealous man. Nervous, he walked to stand beside Richard, who was waiting for the elevator's door to open.

Not daring to say a word, Clark followed him inside, predicting a very difficult morning.

None of them spoke until they got to a café around the corner. Richard took his jacket off and undid his cuffs. Almost like he was ready to start a fight. On the other side of the table, Clark sat down as casually as he could, watching Richard prepare to confront him.

They ordered coffee and that was it, proving that they weren't really hungry.

"How can I help you, Richard?" Clark asked, though he knew he wasn't that naïve.

"You know why we're here." Richard stated. "Lois told me."

Clark swallowed hard, looked at his black coffee and nodded. "I'm sorry, Richard, I don't know what to say."

"Do you love her?"

The question came as a surprise. "It doesn't matter," Clark began, "She loves you, and you're what she wants." _Richard's a good man, and you've been gone a long time. _He remembered Lois' words exactly.

Richard stared at him, considered what he had just said. "Do you love her, Clark? That was the question."

For a long moment, Clark considered lying. But this situation was so complicated already, that more lies would make matters worse. "Yes."

It was short, it was simple, and it was the truth. Finally, Richard smiled, shaking his head at the same time. "And she loves you?"

"I don't know. She hasn't said anything to me. All I know is that she's with you and she looks happy. I shouldn't interfere."

"But Jason is your _son_!"

When Richard said this, Clark's heart jumped. Hearing Richard call Jason his son made him feel happy in an unexplainable way. He couldn't help but smile, even if just for a second. "I know."

Clark stared at Richard, needing to know what his point was. From the other side of the table, Richard tried to calm down. "I'm sorry. I guess I'll need to be honest with you." Clark gulped, would that require him to be honest back? Would that require Superman into the picture? "The truth is… Lois and I… well," it hurt to admit it, "it's not like before. Ever since Superman appeared, things have… changed."

Raising both eyebrows, Clark tried to hide what he was feeling.

"I'm… sorry, Richard. Once again, I don't know what to say."

Richard shrugged. "Don't say anything."

The only thing he could think of doing, was look at the dark coffee in front of him for as long as is was necessary. "If you want me to keep my distance until you guys have time to talk about it…"

"No. No. I'm sure you'll want to see Jason. I know _I_ would if I were in your position."

Clark nodded, feeling uncomfortable. "Thanks."

"No problem, Clark." Richard leaned back, tracing the untouched cup of coffee with his index finger. "At least I'm glad _you_'re the father."

Confused, Clark frowned. "What do you mean?"

Smiling, Richard chuckled. "My other guess was that _Superman _was the father. But, you know… he is not even human, so I guess it doesn't really make any sense." Clark gulped, "It would have been difficult if it had been Superman sitting in front of me."

Clark couldn't do anything but look down. He felt his blood rising, his heart beating faster and the sweat coming down. "Difficult?" He managed to say.

"Yeah, you know." Richard continued, now more relaxed. He drank from his coffee at last and said, "He's _Superman. _The _Man of Steel._ It's intimidating. If he was here right now, I would probably just bow out. There's no _way_ I can compete with _Superman._"

It was then that Clark considered telling Richard the truth. He was considering it for the first time since Lois had suggested it. "I-I'm sure h-he's just a man." Clark added, "Not very different from… me."

"No offense, Clark, but it's not the same." Richard corrected him. "I've met the guy. Have you ever met the guy?" He didn't let Clark reply, "_I'_ve met the guy, and trust me. He's perfect. You know… polite, good looking, honest, a _hero_. What woman in her right mind wouldn't want to have _him_?" Richard shook his head. "And have you seen the way he _looks_ at Lois?"

_Oh, God, he notices everything._ "I, uhm…"

"Well, there's something there, I'll tell yah." Ignoring Clark's fidgeting, Richard kept going. "But you probably know that, right? I mean, how many years as her partner?"

"Uhm, four."

"Four? Wow, Clark. I don't know how you did it. I mean, I had no competition, Superman was gone… but you? He was still around when you and Lois…"

Suddenly, Clark jumped, hitting the table in the process and spilling the contents of both cups of coffee all over the place. "Sorry. Sorry." He seemed apologized to every customer.

Richard just watched as clumsy Clark helped the waitress clean up his mess, as if a few napkins were enough. After they were done, Clark stood up and took out his wallet, producing a couple of bills. "I gotta go, Richard. But thanks for the talk and for… being understanding about Jason. It means a lot to me."

Clark was nervous, and he wasn't faking. Richard simply stared at him amused. "You're right. I have to go back to the office, too. Here, it's on me." He gave him back his bills; Clark didn't know what to do. "I'll take care of it." He took out his own wallet, placing a ten dollar bill on the table.

"Thanks." Clark said quickly. "I really have to go, though."

"I know. Me, too." Richard followed him outside. There was no way Clark would get rid of him now. Why couldn't he think of one of his many excuses like he always did? He needed to relax.

But as he walked beside him, Clark began to think.

He _should _tell him. Richard had been honest with him, now it was his turn.

But he wouldn't be too happy. He would feel deceived, thinking he was talking to Clark about Superman, when in truth he was talking to both. No, that wouldn't be a good thing.

Only if more conversations like this one happened, it would only get more difficult. He should tell him, he _should._ Lois wanted it. It sounded like the way to go, but…

What if he didn't take it well? What if he did something without thinking that they would all regret?

And what if he didn't? What if he understood and things with Jason would just get easier then? That would be a heavy weight off his back.

They entered the building and Richard pressed the button. Clark looked at him nervously, still thinking about what to do.

"You okay, Clark?"

"Swell." Clark said in his usual high pitched tone.

They entered the elevator, but they were not alone. They wouldn't be able to talk there. And they certainly wouldn't be having that important conversation in the bull pen. Well, then maybe today would not be a good day.

The door opened and the newsroom appeared. Not knowing what came over him, Clark placed his hand on Richard's shoulder. "Wait." He said.

"What's the matter?"

"I need to tell you something." That was it; it was out there, now there was no turning back. He _had _to tell him.

"All right." Richard began his way to the newsroom again.

"Not… here." Clark muttered.

For a few seconds, Richard stared at him confused, then somehow understood that Clark intended to stay in the elevator. Seeing curiosity spreading through Richard's face, Clark grew ever more anxious for the entire moment to be over.

The elevator doors closed again, and Clark pressed the last button.

"The roof?" Asked Richard. Clark nodded.

They were alone when the elevator door opened one last time. Richard followed Clark up the last set of stairs and saw as he opened the metallic door to the roof.

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"What is it, Clark?" Richard said as he stopped in the very middle, watching as Clark walked closer to the edge of the roof. The Daily Planet globe was not where it usually was. It had fallen a few days before. Superman had stopped it just before hitting his uncle Perry. Just another reminder of the man that had changed his relationship with Lois and with it his entire life.

"You were honest with me and I think it's only fair that I am honest with you." Clark said.

Richard still didn't understand the magnitude of what was about to happen, just like Lois hadn't either the day before. In his mind, he slowly started thinking the worst. "What are you talking about, Clark?"

He saw him hesitate. Clark had said he loved Lois, but he wasn't going to interfere in her relationship with him. He had understood he only wanted to see Jason, had that changed? Did he want Jason for himself? Had something happened between Lois and Clark the night before? Why hadn't he asked more questions about what they had talked about? Clark had seemed very cooperative, then.

"What I'm about to tell you is very… difficult." Clark said, staring at him.

He asked again. "What are you _talking _about, Clark?"

"I'm going to tell you something nobody else knows about me." He said it, and then reconsidered, "Not true. There are two people who know. One of them is my mother."

Richard chuckled, dying of curiosity. "And the other?"

"Lois."

"Lois?"

"I just told her yesterday."

"You mean," Richard narrowed his eyes, "when she told you about Jason?"

Clark's eyes looked up, remembering, "No, a little after that."

Nodding in understanding, Richard crossed his arms, waiting for this big secret to be revealed. "All right. If you feel you need to tell me…"

"I feel is the right thing to do… considering…"

"Considering what?"

"The circumstances…"

"What circumstances?" Pressed Richard.

"_Our_ circumstances."

"Can you… elaborate?"

He saw Clark breathe nervously, almost scared. Then he turned to look at him, carefully. "You can't tell anybody."

Richard snorted, trying to think on who would want to know a secret coming from shy, clumsy reporter Clark Kent. "I won't."

"It's not an easy secret."

Rolling his eyes, Richard nodded, "All right. I promise I won't tell anybody. Now please tell me, I'm dying with anticipation."

Giving him a half smile, Clark waited. "When I tell you… you may be angry at first… but let me explain."

"Why would I be angry?" Richard raised his voice, "Jesus, Clark, tell me what's bothering you. I won't get angry, I won't tell a soul. I swear. Now please, trust me."

_Trust._ Why would Clark Kent trust him?

"I'm Superman." He muttered.

He probably had heard wrong. "Sorry, what?"

Clark looked away, pursing his lips. "I'm Superman, Richard."

"Did you say that… you were Superman?" Richard repeated, unable to believe his ears.

"That's right."

The sudden attack of laughter made Clark chuckle with him. It did sound funny, didn't it? "What are you talking about, Clark? You're _not _Superman."

"Yes, I am." Then Clark stood up straight, like he really meant what he was saying.

"No. You're not."

"Why would I tell you I was if I wasn't?" Clark narrowed his eyes. "It's the truth."

"Yeah, right." But there was now doubt in Richard's voice. "Really?" He pointed at him. "You're serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. I can prove it."

For a moment Richard just stood there, staring at him. He _had _thought about it before. The height, the hair, the eyes. It all made sense. But he had dismissed the idea then, why shouldn't he dismiss the idea now.

"You can prove it?" He asked, though he really didn't need to. He had focused hard enough, and it was true. Clark looked _exactly_ like Superman. Except for those glasses, the hair-do and the suit. He _was _Superman.

"I can fly." He said casually. To his astonishment, Clark Kent, dressed as he was, levitated off the floor. All Richard could do was stare; his mouth half open, his entire world gone, only the realization that Clark Kent was Superman remained.

"Oh, my God." He whispered. "You're Superman."

Landing on the roof again, Clark cocked his head to the side. "Now I need to explain…"

_Explain what?_ "No. You don't need to explain anything." Richard barked, now out of his trance and seemingly possessed, "It's all clear now. She wants _you_. And she can _have_ you, can't she? You're not only a god, you're also a man. What she always wanted."

"No, Richard, let me explain."

"No! You came back and you lied to everybody and now she's leaving me to be with you. You abandoned her, you bastard!"

"Richard…"

But Richard turned around, ready to leave. "Get out of my way." He found it irritating when Clark super-sped in front of him, blocking his way to the door.

"Please, listen."

"No." Richard repeated, not looking at him, "Get out of my way… _Clark_."

"I can't."

Richard felt this incredible urge to hit him. All these emotions started to fill his very soul and the realization that if this man was really Clark Kent _and_ Superman at the same time, which meant that he didn't stand a chance. Before, at least it was clear where he stood with Clark Kent. He had assumed both of them would be fighting over Lois fair and square. Both having to compete against The Man of Steel. The situation was different now, and just in a matter of seconds, all had changed.

"I'm going to ask again…" began Richard.

Clark was quick to interrupt, raising his arm to stop him. "For both Lois and Jason's safety, I can't let you go until you hear me out. I'm sorry, there's no other way I know how to deal with this."

"You're Superman, I thought you were perfect." Richard said.

"What?" He seemed genuinely surprised. "I know you're angry, Richard. But everything I told you this morning is true. _Everything._ I'm just a man. Just like you."

Richard snorted, shook his head and looked back at Clark. "You're not _just _like me, Clark. You're like a god."

"I'm not a god."

Giving a step forward, Richard confronted Superman, dressed as Clark Kent. "You can fly, you're strong, invulnerable. You _aren't _just like me."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

"Listen to me, Richard." Clark pleaded, "I _am_ just a man. Yes, I come from another planet, but that's not my fault. And I have been keeping this secret from _everyone_ for a long time. Only now, I have a _son._ That means I have to start making different decisions. One of those was to tell you the truth.

"I _want_ you to be with Jason, just like I _want _you to stay with Lois. She looks happy. Jason only knows you as his father. He has _no_ idea who I am. I don't want to be the one to end a good thing."

After a moment, Richard said: "Jason will find out, won't he? That you're his _real _father, I mean." Sarcasm in his tone. "Clark, it's not your decision to make. Lois will decide what to do, and I _bet_ she will go with Superman. Does she know the truth about you?"

"Yes, I just told her." _Right, he did mention that, didn't he?_

"So, she didn't know… before?" He sounded puzzled. "Wait a minute. How did she have your kid if she didn't know that you were the same person?" Realization filled his face. "You didn't tell her and yet you took her into your bed? You really are a piece of art."

That seemed to hurt Clark extremely; Richard could see it in his eyes. He suddenly felt embarrassed to have said such a thing.

"I know I don't deserve her." Clark said quietly. "I lied to her, I didn't trust her. And yes, I left her. I didn't know about Jason then, but that's not an excuse."

"You're right. It's not."

Clark turned to look at Richard once more; he had been looking into the city below them. "But I love her, and I love Jason. Please understand, Richard. I am the only one left. There is nobody left from Krypton, but me. And yet here, I have a son. I'm not alone anymore. That means a lot to me."

This infuriated Richard, why would he need to show how vulnerable he truly was, it made it harder to hate him and he _wanted_ to. The truth was, he was so confused with emotion that he didn't know what to do. Seeing Clark in front of him, knowing that behind the clothes, the blue suit was hiding, made him feel like he was the one being unfair.

"I'm sorry about your situation, Clark, but you're no martyr." He said.

"I know. I just want what's best for Jason and Lois. And right now," Clark explained, "telling you the truth about who I am seemed like the most intelligent thing to do. It wasn't easy, though. Please Richard, don't make me regret my decision."

"You mean if I tell everybody your secret? What will you do to me? Kill me?"

"Don't be stupid, Richard. Of course not." Reassured Clark. "But it _could_ kill Lois… or Jason. Think about it. If people knew that I had a life besides being Superman, it would put them in jeopardy. It would put my _mom _in jeopardy."

That threw Richard off. "Your _mom_?"

"Yes, my mom. Martha Kent." Clark stated, "She has done nothing to you. And nobody relates her to Superman _now_. I would do anything to protect her, just like you would do anything to protect Lois and Jason, right?"

Richard had to agree. Yes, Clark was right; he had to keep this secret. And Clark had been right since the beginning. It _was _a hard secret to keep.

"Fine." Richard blurted, "I won't tell anybody. You have my word." He looked away. "But you can't expect me to act normal about it. And you can't expect me to move aside and stop trying and win Lois back. I may look alright, but I'm freaking out. I mean, look at you… you're _Superman_!"

This calmed Clark enough to smile. "Thank you, Richard."

"Don't." He replied. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to get out of here. I need time to think."

With that, he went around Clark Kent and entered the building through the metal door.

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Richard went back to his office and did absolutely nothing. He couldn't work, he couldn't concentrate. Eventually his uncle Perry came to ask if everything was fine.

"I'll survive." Answered Richard.

"What do you mean you'll survive? What's wrong?" Perry frowned, "What's gotten into you? Is it Lois? Has she given you the ultimatum?"

"No. Not yet. But it's coming, I can feel it." He took a pencil from his desk and started playing with it. "I just…"

"What?"

Richard suddenly realized that whatever they were saying, was probably being heard by Clark Kent. Boy, did that change things!

"I just found out about Clark and Lois. They sort of gave me an idea of what their relationship was like… before he left."

"Oh, they did?" Perry said, now sounding surprised.

"You were right. They had a thing going on."

"So it was serious?"

"_Very._"

Richard looked over Perry's shoulder and spotted Clark looking at him. Right then, the reporter looked away, trying to pretend he wasn't listening. It was too late, of course.

"So, is Jason…?" All Richard had to do was nod and Perry White gasped. "I never thought Kent had it in him. I guess anything can happen, uh?"

"You have _no_ idea. That man is _full_ of surprises." Richard said, referring to the little secret he had been invited to join.

"And what are you going to do?" Perry asked, knowing it was not his place to meddle, but asking anyway.

"I don't know. I want to wait to see how things will turn out. But I have a very strong feeling it will not end well for me." He shrugged, "Just by thinking like that I already lost the battle." He thought about it before saying, "Maybe it's for the best."

"I don't know what to say, Richard." His uncle said and turned to leave, "Hang in there, if you need anything let me know. If you need me to talk to Clark, let me know that, too."

"No." Richard said quickly, "That's not necessary. Thanks, uncle Perry."

Perry nodded and left, leaving Richard again alone with his thoughts.

When he looked back at Clark's desk, he saw that he was gone. _Probably out saving the world._ He used his time alone… _truly_ alone, to call Lois. He wasn't even sure what he would say, but he was sure he needed to talk to her.

"Hello." Her voice echoed on the other end.

"Lois. It's me."

"Richard. Everything okay?"

For a moment, he didn't speak, but Lois didn't pressure him. "I don't know."

"Is it Jason?" He understood why the only reason she could think of his call would be their son. No, _her_ son. _Clark_'s son.

"No. It's not about Jason. It's about Clark."

Now it was her time to be quiet. He remembered the conversation from the night before. It hadn't gone well. "Listen, Richard…"

"I know the truth now."

"What truth? What are you talking about?" She sounded startled.

"About Clark." He continued, "He told me… a few minutes ago."

"Uhm, what _did_ he tell you exactly?" Her tone was careful and Richard understood her loyalty to him.

"He told me he is… Superman." The last word he said quietly. Even if he was in his office, he doubted its privacy suddenly.

"When?" She asked, her voice strange.

"I just told you, a few minutes ago."

She took her time. "You can't tell anyone Richard." She started, "I told him to tell you for Jason's sake. We didn't want you to be scared or angry, thinking that we lied to you."

"How considerate." That had come out harsh. "Sorry. I guess, I _am _grateful that you decided to include me."

"Well, you _are _Jason's father."

"No, I'm not." He said quickly in a monotone.

"You _are, _Richard. Whatever happens, you will always be Jason's dad."

He frowned. "Whatever happens?"

"I-" Her voice cracked.

"Tell me you love him, Lois. Tell me it's true."

"Richard…"

"I asked you once and I'm doing it again." He said, holding the receiver weakly. "Are you in love with him? Just tell me."

"Don't do this over the phone." She pleaded, "We can talk when you come home."

"Why?" He asked, trying to remain calm, "You will shut me out again, like you did last night."

"No!" She said, "I was… confused yesterday, but things are clearer now."

_Clearer?_

"Fine." He snapped. "Have it your way, Lois. But in a way, you've already answered my question."

He hung up, with no warning and no good-bye. Devastated, Richard passed his hands through his hair. When he looked up, he turned to Clark's desk and saw him as he was arriving at his desk, sitting himself clumsily.

"Did you hear that?" He said in a normal tone, knowing Clark surely heard him. But the man was moving his mouse around, clicking away like he hadn't heard a thing. "Clark!" Richard said louder, but not loud enough to gain the attention of anyone outside his office. Clark jerked his head up, looked at him straight in the eye for a few seconds, then turned around to see if anyone else was looking at him. "Did you hear me on the phone?"

He saw Clark frown and then hesitated before he shook his head. At least it looked like he hadn't heard, that was a good thing. Richard sighed and relaxed, Clark still looking at him from the other side of the glass. After a moment, Perry came out of his own office and barked the name Kent.

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Clark was back after Perry White gave him his new assignment. It had been difficult to concentrate when talking to his boss, since he knew how close he was to his nephew. He remembered the conversation that had taken place a few hours before between Richard and Perry. But the chief hadn't given him any advice, nor had he tried to get any information from him regarding Lois. No, Perry had been all business as he gave Clark information on a lead he wanted him to follow. In a way, he was thankful to be out of the obituaries so fast, he needed some action and that's what he'd gotten.

Just as he was walking over to his desk, he heard his phone ring.

"Kent." He answered quickly.

"Hi." It was Lois.

"Hi, Lois, everything ok?"

"Yeah, yeah… I'm fine. And Jason is fine, too, so don't worry."

"Ok, then…" Clark waited for Lois to complete the question.

"It's Richard." She said, "I know you guys talked about… you know."

"Oh, right." Clark began, "I was going to tell you, but then I had to go on an errand and…"

"An errand?" She interrupted.

"Yeah, you know… I heard a call and I…"

"Oh, right." She said.

"Yeah." He played with the phone's cord. "And then I just got here when Perry called me. He gave me an assignment!" He thought sounded too cheerful, like a child who had been given a new toy. He heard Lois smile on the other end.

"I miss that." She said. "I know I should go back to work, I just… I was so confused, but I think I have it all figured out."

"Really?" His voice had a glimpse of terror in it. He knew what that meant, Lois had decided. She knew who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, Richard or… himself. Or probably none… or both? No, that couldn't be. Curiosity filled him.

"Yes. And I want to talk to you about that. It's important for Jason." She said. Seeing that she got no response, she added. "Don't you think?"

"Yes. Yes. I agree. He's in the middle and we should be careful how we handle this."

"I think that, too." She agreed, then: "How did Richard take it?"

"I don't know." It was clear he didn't know about the conversation she had had with Richard earlier. "At first he was fine. Then he got angry and then… fine again. So, I'm not sure."

"When he called me to tell me, he sounded a little upset with me."

"He did?" _So, _that's_ what he had wondered if I'd heard, _Clark thought. "And what happened?"

"He, uhm…" It was clear there was something she wanted to say but didn't dare, "We'll talk tonight. I'll talk with Richard when he gets home and then I'd like to talk to you… that is, if you are available."

"Sure." Clark was hopeful; he wanted to be with Lois forever and it looked like he would soon find out if his wish would come true or not. "Should I come by around ten again?'

"Can you come earlier? That way Jason will still be awake and you can see him."

He smiled. "I'd like that."

"Great. So anytime after seven is fine. I'll tell Richard."

"Okay." But he didn't sound so sure he agreed with that last part.

An awkward silence followed, but Lois was quick to end it. "I'll see you tonight. Bye, Clark." And she hung up.

"Bye." Clark Kent leaned back and closed his eyes, anxious to know what his future would be like.

To be continued…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Richard was waiting on Clark's desk when he came back from another _errand_. It was now clear to him why Clark disappeared all the time and Richard appear to be waiting patiently until he reappeared from the elevator, fixing his tie.

"Hey, Richard. Everything all right?" Clark asked, not daring to look at him if possible. Richard had been waiting leaning on his desk. Clark pulled his chair out, but didn't sit down.

"Could you come to my office?" He asked dryly.

Knowing Clark would be nervous; Richard smiled as he had him follow him into privacy. Once in the office, he offered him a chair, which he took without question.

"Everything all right?" Clark repeated.

"Yeah."

He saw Clark fidget in his chair. Picturing him in his Superman suit made Richard smile secretly. Who would have thought that the Man of Steel himself would be sitting in front of him like a scared little boy?

"I usually don't overhear conversations that I'm not invited to hear." Clark blurted out, gaining Richard's attention.

"Never?"

"Well.." Clark looked away. "It's hard _not_ to listen sometimes, but I try."

Richard nodded. "That's not why I wanted to talk to you. Though I must confess that just made it harder. Sometimes it's hard to think of you as someone who has all these powers."

"Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"No." He waved his hand in front of him, "Don't apologize. I'll get use to it. Or I _hope _I will." Clark nodded slowly. "No, I wanted to talk to you about Lois." That caught Clark's attention back. "She loves you, we all know that and…"

"Richard.,,"

"Let me finish." Richard wasn't sitting down; he walked around his office as he spoke. "I don't want to marry her knowing I'm only second best. I know she loves you. Even if she doesn't know it… _I_ know. And I know she will talk to me tonight to turn me down, break our engagement. After that, you'll come over and she'll talk to you." He paused, analyzing Clark's response, "She will tell you that she'd like to give it a try."

"How do you know _that_?" Clark asked him.

"I know." Richard said. "I know Lois. She will tell you she wants to be with you." At last Richard sat down on the opposite side of the desk. "What's been bugging me is… _can _you be with her?"

"What?"

"I want to know if you're planning on leaving her again." His voice stern, "No matter what Lois's decision is, I still love her… _and_ Jason. I don't want to see them hurt. So I'd like to know, even if it's not my place to ask."

"I wouldn't… no, I won't leave, I…"

"Think about it, Clark." Richard said, "It's a lot of responsibility. Jason needs a father, not a hero. Think about it before answering Lois."

"What are you saying?" Clark asked, confused.

"I'm saying that I will _hurt_ you if you hurt her… again."

Clark sat there, silent. Richard hoped he understood the seriousness of what he was saying.

"You're right, Richard." He nodded slowly, "But, it's not your place to ask." After Clark said that, he stood up, opening the door to leave. Richard just sat there, watching him go back to his desk. There was nothing else he could do. He had lost the battle.

To be continued…


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Lois was waiting for Richard when he got home. She wore a summer dress that she usually never wore, but they both knew she wasn't wearing it for Richard.

"You look nice." Richard expressed.

Lois forced a smile. "Thank you."

Looking around, he asked, "Where's Jason?"

"Upstairs. Doing his homework in his room."

He nodded, "Do you mind if I say hi to him before we… talk?"

"Not at all."

She waited sitting on the sofa, staring into space and nervous of what was about to come. The moment of truth was near.

After a while, she heard Richard coming down the stairs and she tensed.

"He's still doing his homework." He announced. "We have some time to talk."

"Yes. First grade is turning out to be more difficult than I remember."

"Times change." He said, and they both knew his statement meant more than what it sounded like.

Lois looked at him finally and opened his mouth. "Richard…"

"I know what you're going to say, Lois." He interrupted her before she could say anything.

She nodded patiently. "It's not what you think." She said, not waiting for an answer. "I wanted to talk to you about _us_."

"All right." He sounded unconvinced.

For a second she didn't know how to start. Then she remembered Jason upstairs and thought it might not be the right time. But no, it had to be now. "What we have is a good thing, Richard. I love you, I care for you. We have created a good environment for Jason. A family. And you have been a great companion…." She stopped.

Richard nodded, flinching at the word _companion_. His arms remained crossed as he said, "But, there's something wrong."

Narrowing her eyes, trying to put a finger on it, she began, "For some reason I can't describe, I don't want to marry you." It was so definite, so clear and final. Richard just nodded again, almost as if it was no news to him.

"Ever?" He saw her for an instant, his eyebrows raised, somewhat hopeful.

"I've thought about it." She confessed, "I've thought about why we have been engaged for so long and yet we haven't set the date. And it's not that we're busy or anything, it's that… _I_ don't want it to happen. I'm stalling because…"

"Why?" He asked, his face not changing. "Because you love Clark?"

She sighed. "I've thought about that, too." She nodded. "I think I love both of you, only in different ways." Richard still didn't look very convinced. "I do love you, I really do. But, I've always felt that something is missing, something I can't explain." She turned away. "And now I feel like I used you."

He chuckled, not sounding very happy. "I feel that, too."

"I'm so sorry." Lois muttered.

"I'm sorry, too." He didn't look at her as he said this.

There was a long silence. It was broken by a yell from the upstairs bedroom. "I finished my homework!" Jason informed from his room.

Richard and Lois looked at each other. "What will we tell him?" He asked.

"I don't know, yet." Lois replied.

"You better know soon. For one, he has the right to know that he has two dads."

Lois pursed her lips. "I know." She then looked at him, a frown on her face. "Please, if you could give me a few days. I promise we'll move out of the house as soon as we can. And you know it will break Jason's heart if he knows that we…"

He shrugged her off. "I understand. I will try to behave until we figure out what to do." His expression was of sadness, but he still stood up with a smile, turning around to meet Jason into his arms. "Just don't be too long." He told her as his son jumped into his arms.

To be continued…


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Clark flew as Superman to Lois' house. He landed on some trees outside her home and changed quickly. Sighing, he walked to her front door and rang the doorbell.

When the door opened, the person he least expected stood before him.

"Hello, Mr. Clark." Jason said, looking at him with a silent smile.

"Hello, Jason." Clark said, "Is your mom here?"

"Yes, she's with dad in the kitchen." Jason said. Turning around, he yelled. "Mom, it's Mr. Clark!"

"Come on in, Clark." Lois replied from the kitchen.

It was all too normal. Clark didn't expect any of it. He had imagined he would take Lois out again to talk outside after a quick hello to Jason; totally avoiding Richard. But now that he was following his son to the kitchen, he couldn't help but frown.

What he saw next left him speechless. There, in the middle of the kitchen, was Richard wearing an apron, putting something in the oven. It already smelled delicious, of spices. Lois leaned on the counter, a glass of red wine near her lips.

Clark didn't know how to begin. His mind raced to think something to say that wouldn't sound as awkward as he felt, but he couldn't come up with anything.

It was Richard that started, meeting his eyes with a strange look. "Wine?" He offered, but Clark just stood there, frozen. Seeing this, Richard said, "Or you don't drink…?"

"Uhm," Clark gulped, "Yes. Wine would be great."

Nodding, Richard went to the cupboard and took a glass for his guest.

"Red or white?" he asked him.

"The one you have open is fine."

"We have both bottles open, so take your pick." Richard said, standing as far away from him, while still trying to be civil, as he handed him an empty glass. "Please."

Clark nodded as he took the glass. He walked to the counter and chose the dark bottle, pouring himself a red Merlot. He took it in his hand, smelled it and tasted it. It was good.

"I guess you're_also_ a red wine kind of guy." Richard said.

"Well, yes. Most of the time." Clark replied, a little confused by the statement.

"Lois likes red as well. I guess you two have _that_ in common, then."

"Richard…" Lois began, eyeing Jason, who was sitting in front of them, coloring his latest drawing.

"I'm sorry." Richard said, turning away. "Dinner should be ready in about forty minutes."

With this announcement, Lois stood up and walked out the kitchen after eyeing Clark, who didn't know what to do next. He was now standing in the kitchen with Richard and Jason.

"Good luck." Richard said. This time, he tried to sound really sincere, avoiding the sarcasm in his tone. Seeing the perplexed look on Clark's face, he had to add, rolling his eyes: "Go after her."

Clark nodded, took a quick glance at Jason, who was totally into his coloring, and exited the kitchen. But just before he stepped up, the boy raised his head. "When you come back, can I show you my drawing, Mr. Clark?"

Smiling, Clark nodded. "Sure, Jason. I'd like that."

The boy smiled in return and continued with his task.

To be concluded…


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Lois was waiting outside. He could see her figure through the screen door. Her pale yellow dress moved slightly with the wind outside. She didn't move an inch when the door opened and Clark joined her.

"I'm glad you made it." Lois said.

"I wouldn't miss it." Clark said. He stood near her, but still kept his distance. "Did you talk to Richard?"

"I did."

Looking down at his glass of wine, Clark had to control his strength to keep it from breaking in his hand. He was nervous, not really knowing what to think. In one hand, he was afraid Lois had broken up her perfect family with Richard because of him, but on the other, he was hopeful she would return his affection for her.

"He looks at ease." He indicated, referring to Richard.

"Yes. He's doing it for Jason."

"What is he doing… exactly?" He asked, seemingly puzzled.

Finally, Lois turned around to face him.

"I told him I… needed something else." Her voice was trembling, but so was Clark. He stood there facing her and smelling her perfume. "But I need to know something."

"Anything." He said without hesitating.

"I need to know that this time, you won't leave me."

He almost stopped breathing. "I won't."

"I'm not changing Richard for you, Clark." She said then, "If you hadn't come back, this still would have happened. Your presence… it just quickened the inevitable. Do you understand what I'm saying? I'm not doing this because of you."

"I understand."

"And it will be hard for Jason. I know this. But in the long run, I think it'll be better this way. Richard and I still have to decide what to do about that."

"You know I'm here for both of you. Whatever you need."

She stared at him with a new intensity. "I want to know you, that's what I need. If this – _us_, has a chance of working out, I need to know who you are. Who you _really_ are."

"I'm an open book, I told you that and I wasn't lying."

"Well, I'm willing to give it a try." She smiled at him, ready for her next adventure. But instead, Clark backed away. "What's wrong?" Lois asked, confused at his sudden reaction.

"Just," he began, looking beyond, "that I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I'm Clark Kent, not Superman. I just… want you to understand this, before anything happens. Not to say I don't _want_ it to happen. I just want you to be prepared."

"What's so bad about Clark Kent?"

"Well, for starters," he said, "you never did pay attention to me before."

She looked at him and he finally looked back. After a while, Lois spoke: "I'm still ready to give it a try… if you want."

He nodded, pursing his lips. Then turned around again to face her and he held out his hand. Finally, she took it in hers.

Once again, since that night when Jason had been conceived, they kissed… and it was everything they remembered it to be.

The End.

_Thank you all who read my story! And super thanks to those that wrote reviews, I really enjoyed them. _

_And yes, this is the end of this story, sorry about that. I just hope you'll read my next story._

_Cheers! _


End file.
